Class 11 English (Elective) Poem 5 – The World Is Too Much with Us Important Question Answers from Woven Words Book
Class 11 English (Elective) The World Is Too Much with Us Important Question Answers – Looking for questions and answers for CBSE Class 11 English (Elective) Poem 5- The World Is Too Much with Us? Look no further! Our comprehensive compilation of important questions will help you brush up on your subject knowledge. Practising Class 11 English question answers can significantly improve your performance in the exam. Improve your chances of scoring high marks by exploring Poem 5 – The World Is Too Much with Us now. The questions listed below are based on the latest CBSE exam pattern, wherein we have given NCERT solutions to the chapter’s extract-based questions, multiple choice questions and Extra Question Answers
Also, practising with different kinds of questions can help students learn new ways to solve problems that they may not have seen before. This can ultimately lead to a deeper understanding of the subject matter and better performance on exams.
- The World Is Too Much with Us NCERT Solutions
- The World Is Too Much with Us Extract Based Questions
- The World Is Too Much with Us Multiple Choice Questions
- The World Is Too Much with Us Extra Question Answers
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The World Is Too Much with Us Textbook Questions (NCERT Solutions)
UNDERSTANDING THE POEM
1. Why does the poet prefer to be a primitive Pagan rather than a member of civilised society?
Ans. The poet prefers to be a primitive Pagan instead of a member of modern society. He believes that today’s civilized world is disconnected from nature and spiritual values. He feels that people are too focused on materialism—“getting and spending”—and this makes them lose their natural abilities to feel wonder and emotional connections with the world around them. He calls this trade-off a “sordid boon,” meaning it’s a shameful loss. In contrast, he imagines a Pagan person with old, nature-based beliefs would still have a strong bond with nature. This connection would let him see beautiful moments in nature and even witness mythical figures like Proteus and Triton. This would help him feel “less forlorn,” meaning less lonely and sad, offering a spiritual comfort that modern materialism cannot provide. Overall, the poet wants to return to a simpler, more spiritual relationship with the earth, which he believes comes from a primitive way of thinking.
2. What, according to the poet, are human beings out of tune with?
Ans. The poet suggests that people are “out of tune” with Nature and its beauty, power, and spirit. He talks about amazing natural events, like “The Sea that bares her bosom to the moon” and “The Winds that will be howling at all hours.” While these forces of nature are impressive and alive, humans seem unaffected by them. He says, “It moves us not.” This disconnect means that people no longer appreciate the beauty of the natural world. They have traded their ability to feel this connection for material gains and worries. They have “given our hearts away” to consumerism, losing their natural response to the profound presence of nature.
TRY THIS OUT
Compare the organisation of this sonnet with that of the sonnet by William Shakespeare.
Ans. William Wordsworth’s poem “The World Is Too Much With Us” and William Shakespeare’s poem “Let Me Not to the Marriage of True Minds” are both sonnets, which are 14-line poems, usually written in a rhythm called iambic pentameter. However, they follow different structures, and this affects how they are organized and how they present their main ideas. Wordsworth’s poem is a Petrarchan (or Italian) sonnet. It has two main parts: an octave (the first eight lines) and a sestet (the last six lines). The octave, with the rhyme scheme ABBAABBA, presents a problem or observation. In “The World Is Too Much With Us,” it clearly shows the issue: humanity’s focus on material things and how this distances us from nature. The speaker mourns that people have “given our hearts away” and are “out of tune” with the natural world. The turn, or change in thought, happens between the eighth and ninth lines. The sestet, with the rhyme scheme CDECDE, then gives a resolution or emotional response to the problem. Here, it shifts from despair to a longing for a spiritual connection with nature, as the speaker wishes to be a Pagan to regain a mystical bond with the natural world. This structure creates a clear movement from identifying a problem to suggesting a unique solution. On the other hand, Shakespeare’s “Let Me Not to the Marriage of True Minds” is a Shakespearean (or English) sonnet. It is organized into three quatrains (four-line sections) and one couplet (two-line section), with a rhyme scheme of ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. Each quatrain looks at a different aspect of the main theme, building on the previous one. In “Let Me Not…”, the first quatrain defines true love by explaining what it is not (it does not change). The second quatrain uses images (like “ever-fixed mark” and “star”) to show its unwavering nature. The third quatrain claims that true love stands firm against time and decay. The turn in a Shakespearean sonnet usually happens just before the final couplet. This couplet then sums it all up with a strong statement about the truth of love (“If this be error… I never writ, nor no man ever loved”). This structure allows the argument to develop step by step, leading to a strong conclusion. Both poems are sonnets with 14 lines, they are organized differently. Wordsworth’s octave-sestet structure presents a problem and solution, while Shakespeare’s three quatrains leading to a couplet create a gradual build-up to a final summary. This difference guides how their themes are presented and resolved.
CBSE Class 11 English (Elective) Poem 5 The World Is Too Much with Us Extract-Based Questions
Answer the following extract-based questions.
A.
The World is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers:
Little we see in Nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!
Q1. What does the phrase “The World is too much with us” imply about humanity’s relationship with the world?
Ans. It implies that humanity is excessively preoccupied and overwhelmed by materialistic concerns and worldly affairs, to the point of being consumed by them.
Q2. According to the speaker, what are humans doing by “Getting and spending”?
Ans. By “Getting and spending” (engaging in excessive materialism and consumerism), humans are squandering their inherent spiritual and natural abilities and energies.
Q3. What does the line “Little we see in Nature that is ours” suggest about human connection to nature?
Ans. This line suggests that humans have lost their innate connection to nature, no longer appreciating or feeling a sense of belonging to the natural world around them.
Q4. What does the speaker mean by “We have given our hearts away”?
Ans. “We have given our hearts away” means that humans have sacrificed their emotional and spiritual core, their capacity for wonder, feeling, and connection with nature, in exchange for worldly pursuits.
Q5. Explain the paradox in the phrase “a sordid boon!”
Ans. The phrase “a sordid boon!” is paradoxical because a “boon” is something beneficial or a blessing, but “sordid” means morally dirty or ignoble. The paradox highlights that what humans consider a benefit (material gain) is actually a shameful and harmful trade-off for their spiritual well-being.
B.
The Sea that bares her bosom to the moon;
The Winds that will be howling at all hours,
And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers,
For this, for everything, we are out of tune;
Q1. What human-like action is attributed to the Sea in the first line?
Ans. The Sea is personified as “baring her bosom to the moon,” suggesting it openly reveals itself in a nurturing or intimate way.
Q2. How are the Winds usually described, and how are they appearing “now” in the poem?
Ans. The Winds are usually described as “howling at all hours,” implying they are wild and noisy. However, now they are “up-gathered… like sleeping flowers,” suggesting a temporary stillness or gentle repose.
Q3. What poetic device is used in the phrase “like sleeping flowers” to describe the Winds?
Ans. The poetic device used is a simile, which compares the Winds to “sleeping flowers” using the word “like.”
Q4. What is the speaker’s main lament in the line “For this, for everything, we are out of tune”?
Ans. The speaker’s lament is that humanity is disconnected or “out of tune” with nature’s grandeur, power, and subtle beauty, failing to appreciate it fully.
Q5. What contrast is drawn between the Sea and Winds, and humanity’s state?
Ans. The contrast is between the powerful, expressive, and natural rhythms of the Sea and Winds, and humanity’s spiritual disconnect and lack of responsiveness (“we are out of tune”) to these natural wonders.
C.
It moves us not.—Great God! I’d rather be
A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;
So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,
Q1. What is the speaker’s emotional state conveyed by “It moves us not”?
Ans. The speaker feels a profound sense of detachment and apathy from humanity towards the beauty and power of nature. He laments that people are emotionally untouched by it.
Q2. What strong exclamation does the speaker use to express his frustration?
Ans. The speaker exclaims, “Great God!” showing his intense frustration and exasperation with humanity’s indifference.
Q3. What radical alternative does the speaker prefer to his current state?
Ans. The speaker states he would “rather be / A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn.” This means he’d prefer to have ancient, seemingly outdated religious beliefs connected to nature.
Q4. What does “suckled in a creed outworn” suggest about the Pagan belief system the speaker refers to?
Ans. It suggests that this Pagan belief system is old, perhaps no longer widely practiced, but it provided a fundamental, nurturing connection to nature, like being “suckled” or nourished from infancy.
Q5. What physical setting does the speaker imagine himself in if he were a Pagan?
Ans. He imagines himself “standing on this pleasant lea,” which means a pleasant grassy field or meadow.
D.
Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;
Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;
Or hear old Triton blow his wreathèd horn.
Q1. What does the speaker hope “glimpses” of nature would do for him?
Ans. The speaker hopes these glimpses would make him less lonely, sad, and alienated.
Q2. What specific mythical figure does the speaker wish to see rising from the sea?
Ans. The speaker wishes to have sight of Proteus rising from the sea.
Q3. What mythological being does the speaker long to hear, and what is he doing?
Ans. The speaker longs to hear old Triton blowing his “wreathèd horn.”
Q4. What is the significance of the speaker wanting to see Proteus and hear Triton?
Ans. These mythical figures represent the ancient, powerful, and magical connection to nature that the speaker feels modern humanity has lost. He yearns for a time when humans felt more spiritually attuned to the natural world.
Q5. How do these lines connect to the broader theme of the poem?
Ans. These lines offer the speaker’s desperate solution to the poem’s central problem: humanity’s disconnect from nature due to materialism. By wishing for a pagan connection, he expresses a profound desire to regain a spiritual sensitivity that would allow him to appreciate and be moved by the natural world, rather than seeing it as merely a resource.
Class 11 The World Is Too Much with Us Multiple Choice Questions
Q1. What is the central complaint the speaker makes in the opening lines of the poem?
A. That people are too focused on their careers
B. That humanity is overly consumed with materialism and lacks connection to nature
C. That the natural world is becoming polluted
D. That there is not enough time in the day
Ans. B. That humanity is overly consumed with materialism and lacks connection to nature
Q2. What does the phrase “Getting and spending” refer to in the poem?
A. Learning and teaching
B. Acquiring possessions and consuming resources
C. Earning money and saving it
D. Giving to charity and receiving gifts
Ans. B. Acquiring possessions and consuming resources
Q3. What does the speaker say humanity lays waste by “Getting and spending”?
A. Their wealth
B. Their time
C. Their inherent spiritual, natural abilities and energies
D. Their friendships
Ans. C. Their inherent spiritual, natural abilities and energies
Q4. What does the speaker lament that “Little we see in Nature that is ours”?
A. Humanity does not own enough natural land
B. Nature belongs to everyone equally
C. Natural resources are being depleted
D. People fail to appreciate or feel a personal connection to nature
Ans. D. People fail to appreciate or feel a personal connection to nature
Q5. What does the phrase “a sordid boon!” refer to?
A. A generous and noble gift
B. A blessing that comes with a shameful or morally distasteful cost
C. A stroke of good luck
D. A common, everyday advantage
Ans. B. A blessing that comes with a shameful or morally distasteful cost
Q6. To what does the speaker compare the Sea in the second quatrain?
A. A powerful beast
B. A playful child
C. A woman baring her bosom
D. A calm lake
Ans. C. A woman baring her bosom
Q7. How are the Winds described in their active state?
A. howling at all hours
B. Singing melodiously
C. Rustling gently
D. Whispering secrets
Ans. A. howling at all hours
Q8. What are the Winds compared to when they are “up-gathered now”?
A. Gathering storms
B. Distant thunder
C. Rustling leaves
D. Sleeping flowers
Ans. D. sleeping flowers
Q9. What does the speaker mean by “For this, for everything, we are out of tune”?
A. Humanity is not musically inclined
B. People are not in harmony with nature and its rhythms
C. Society is experiencing political discord
D. The world is too noisy
Ans. B. People are not in harmony with nature and its rhythms
Q10. What is the speaker’s emotional state suggested by “It moves us not”?
A. Indifference
B. Apathy or lack of emotional response to nature
C. Joy
D. Frustration
Ans. B. Apathy or lack of emotional response to nature
Q11. What exclamation does the speaker use to express his intense feeling?
A. “Great God!”
B. “Alas!”
C. “Oh, dear!”
D. “Indeed!”
Ans. A. “Great God!”
Q12. What does the speaker wish he could rather be?
A. A scholar
B. A farmer
C. A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn
D. A hermit
Ans. C. A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn
Q13. What is meant by “a creed outworn”?
A. A religion that is no longer practiced.
B. A worn-out piece of clothing.
C. A new, innovative faith.
D. A set of beliefs that is old-fashioned or outdated
Ans. D. A set of beliefs that is old-fashioned or outdated
Q14. What does the speaker hope to gain from being a Pagan?
A. More wealth
B. glimpses that would make him less forlorn
C. Social acceptance
D. A better understanding of modern science
Ans. B. glimpses that would make him less forlorn
Q15. Where does the speaker imagine himself standing to gain these glimpses?
A. On a mountain peak
B. On a pleasant lea
C. In a bustling city
D. By a quiet river
Ans. B. On a pleasant lea
Q16. Which mythical sea god does the speaker wish to see rising from the sea?
A. Zeus
B. Neptune
C. Proteus
D. Poseidon
Ans. C. Proteus
Q17. Which mythical figure does the speaker wish to hear blowing his horn?
A. Triton
B. Midas
C. Atlas
D. Apollo
Ans. A. Triton
Q18. What kind of horn does Triton blow?
A. A golden trumpet.
B. A silver flute.
C. A “wreathèd horn.”
D. A hunting horn.
Ans. C. A “wreathèd horn.”
Q19. What is the overall tone of the poem?
A. Joyful and celebratory
B. Critical and melancholic, with a yearning for spiritual reconnection
C. Detached and observational
D. Angry and confrontational
Ans. B. Critical and melancholic, with a yearning for spiritual reconnection
Q20. What type of sonnet is “The World Is Too Much With Us”?
A. Shakespearean (English) sonnet
B. Spenserian sonnet
C. Petrarchan (Italian) sonnet
D. Modern sonnet
Ans. C. Petrarchan (Italian) sonnet
CBSE Class 11 English (Elective) Poem 5 – The World Is Too Much with Us Extra Question and Answers
Answer the following questions.
Q1. What is the central complaint the speaker makes in the first two lines of the poem?
Ans. The speaker complains that “The World is too much with us,” meaning humanity is overly consumed by materialism and thereby squandering their inherent spiritual, natural abilities and energies by focusing too much on worldly affairs.
Q2. What does the phrase “a sordid boon!” refer to?
Ans. It refers to the “boon” (a blessing or gift) of modern materialism and consumerism, which the speaker ironically calls “sordid” (dirty, shameful) because it comes at the cost of humanity’s spiritual connection to nature.
Q3. How does the speaker describe the Sea and the Winds to emphasize nature’s indifference to human materialism?
Ans. The speaker describes the Sea as baring “her bosom to the moon” and the Winds as “howling at all hours,” yet notes that for all this natural grandeur, “we are out of tune,” meaning humanity remains unmoved and disconnected.
Q4. What religious belief does the speaker wish he could adopt, and why?
Ans. The speaker wishes he could be “A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn”, because he believes this ancient belief system would allow him to see and hear mythical figures of nature, making him “less forlorn” and reconnecting him to the natural world.
Q5. What is the main contrast Wordsworth draws between humanity and nature in the poem?
Ans. Wordsworth contrasts humanity’s preoccupation with artificial, material gains (“getting and spending”) and its resulting spiritual detachment from nature with nature’s inherent power, beauty, and ancient spirituality, which remains constant and accessible, yet unappreciated by most.